Drill hole plug system

ABSTRACT

The present device relates to a drill hole plug system, and more specifically, to a plug used to seal off rods or casings left in the ground after exploration diamond drilling. The present drill hole plug system is primarily comprised of a basket, connected to a basket adapter, which is in turn threaded onto a primary module. The basket initially locks the drill hole plug system into place, and the primary module is subsequently rotated, such that corresponding parts move forward and anchor the primary module into place within the casing. Afterwards, continued rotation of the primary module engenders a lead-in ring to compress a sealant, expanding said sealant within the drill hole plug system and effectively sealing it off. The drill hole plug system can also incorporate optional modular add-ons, such as a check valve and a shut-off valve.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of drilling devices, and more specifically to drill hole plugs and systems.

BACKGROUND

Drilling, and more specifically diamond drilling, is heavily used in the mining industry in order to determine whether there are ore deposits in the ground that are worth excavating for. To do so, a diamond encrusted drill bit having an annular form is drilled to various depths and subsequently withdrawn. At this point, a solid core is extracted from the resulting drilling and examined in order to determine the types of ore deposits that exist. Once the core has been removed, there exists a resulting aperture from where said core used to lay in the rock site. This aperture is sometimes filled with a rod or casing string, depending on the use.

Typically, end of hole plugs are used to seal off the end of said rods or casing strings that have been left in the ground. This is done to prevent the ingress of water from the surrounding formation, to allow for the pressure testing of the rod string, and/or to contain a circulating cooling fluid within the rod string in freeze hole applications. Other types of plugs are also used to help grout the rod or easing string into the surrounding formation.

There are two major current technologies that exist: grouting and cementing rods or casings, and sealing-off rods or casings.

In the former technology, the first predominant technology consists of using a Margo plug and a subsequent drilling out. In this application, a casing or rod string is to be grouted into the surrounding formation. A Margo style plug is used to seal off the casing at the surface using a series of rubber packings. Grout is pumped through the plug, completely filling the casing and pushing out into the space between the casing and the formation. The grout is left to dry, permanently cementing the casing into the formation. The Margo plug is removed and the grout in the casing is drilled out using a smaller sized rod string. One of the main drawbacks of this existing technology is that it is limited to shallow holes as the time spent in re-drilling the casing, let alone the volume of grout used, makes this approach prohibitively expensive on deep holes.

The second technology using grouting and cementing rods involves the use of a Bradley plug, followed by a wiper plug, and finally a second Bradley plug. This approach is used in deeper holes: first, a Bradley-style plug is set at the bottom of the casing. This plug does not provide a water-tight seal, but rather it is a block for anything else coming down the casing. Next, grout is pumped down the casing. Since the Bradley-style plug does not seal the casing, the grout flows past it. Next, a rubber wiper plug is pushed down the hole until it makes contact with the Bradley style plug. Wiper plugs are used to clean the grout from the inside of the rods or casing in a manner akin to using a round squeegee. Finally, a second Bradley-style plug is set above the wiper plug to keep it from “floating” back up the inside of the casing. One of the main drawbacks of this existing technology is that each operation (i.e. first Bradley plug, Wiper plug, and second Bradley plug) requires a separate trip of the rods. Since the wiper plug is not a rated pressure holding device, often one plug is insufficient to seal off the casing, resulting in sending a second wiper plug and a third Bradley style plug down the casing (two more trips).

In the technology using sealing off rods and casings rods and casing may be sealed off using the same procedure involving Bradley plugs and wiper plugs as described above. However, since the wiper plug is not being used for what it was designed for, its pressure holding capability is limited. Another technology consists of using a seal-off plug with lip seals. There is a type of plug that combines a Bradley style anchor with a U-Cup type of lip seal. These plugs are set in the same manner as a Bradley plug, and seal off the rods or casing completely. However, one of the major drawbacks of this technology is that because they use a lip seal, they are unable to pass through the landing ring (a restriction) in the core barrel and cannot be set at the very end of the casing or rod string. Also, once they are set, it is impossible to pump any fluid through them, and cannot be used to grout in the string.

As such, there is a need for a drill hole plug system that can overcome the drawbacks as mentioned above.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a drill hole plug system, comprising a basket, further comprising at least one outer edge and at least one inclined edge; a basket adapter operatively connected to the basket; and a primary module operatively connected to said basket adapter, further comprising a shear tube, a drive tube, a threaded ring, a threaded shaft, a cone, a seal shaft and an expansion sleeve wherein rotation of the threaded ring causes the threaded ring to travel along a threaded shaft in a first direction and thereby wedges the cone in the expansion sleeve and wherein further continuous rotation of the threaded ring results in the movement of the threaded shaft in a second direction directionally opposite to the first direction.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a drill hole plug system, comprising a basket, further comprising at least one outer edge and at least one inclined edge; a basket adapter operatively connected to the basket; a check valve, a shut-off valve and a primary module operatively connected to said basket adapter, further comprising a shear tube, a drive tube, a threaded ring, a threaded shaft, a cone a seal shaft and an expansion sleeve wherein rotation of the threaded ring causes the threaded ring to travel along a threaded shaft in a first direction and thereby wedges the cone in the expansion sleeve and wherein further continuous rotation of the threaded ring results in the movement of the threaded shaft in a second direction directionally opposite to the first direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will now be convenient to describe the invention with particular reference to one embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the drawings relate to one embodiment of the present invention only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a drill hole plug system and delivery rod, according to one embodiment of the present invention:

FIG. 3 a is a cross-sectional view of a drill hole plug system inserted into a casing, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 b is a cross-sectional view of a basket as found on a drill hole p system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a drill hole plug system inserted into a casing, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a rotatable portion of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a second cross-sectional view of a rotatable portion of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 a is a top view of a first slot and drive tube of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 a is a third cross-sectional view of a rotatable portion of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 b is a fourth cross-sectional view of a rotatable portion of a drill hole plug system, once a key adapter has made contact with a wall, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 c is a side view of an expansion sleeve, third and fourth slots and wall of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention:

FIG. 7 d is a top view of an expansion sleeve, third slot and wall of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 e is a cross-sectional view of a unrotatable portion of a drill hole plug system, without a fourth key and fourth slot, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 f is a top view of a pocket and key adapter of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 8 a, 8 b and 8 c are cross-sectional views of a key adapter and pocket, being fitted with a third key and a cap screw, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a fifth cross-sectional view of a rotatable portion of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a sixth cross-sectional view of a rotatable portion of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 a is a cross-sectional view of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 b is a cross-sectional view of an optional check valve module of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 a is a cross-sectional view of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 b is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve module of a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 c is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve module of a drill hole plug system, rotated by 90° from the previous view, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 a is a cross-sectional view of a trip rod within a drill hole plug system, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 b is a cross-sectional view of a trip rod within a drill hole plug system, once the delivery rod is in tension, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 a is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve module of a drill hole plug system, once the trip rod is in tension, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 b is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve module of a drill hole plug system, once the trip rod is in tension, and rotated 90° from the previous view, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 c is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve module of a drill hole plug system, once the shear pin has been broken according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 d is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve module of a drill hole plug system, once the shear pin has been broken, and rotated 90° from the previous view, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and,

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a drill hole plug system without a check valve and shut off valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred and other embodiments of the invention are shown. No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover processes or apparatuses that are not described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an embodiment of any claimed invention. The applicants, inventors or owners reserve all rights that they may have in any invention claimed in this document, for example the right to claim such an invention in a continuing application and do not intend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document.

The terms “coupled” and “connected”, along with their derivatives, may be used herein. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may be used to indicated that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect (with other intervening elements between them) physical or electrical contact with each other, or that the two or more elements co-operate or interact with each other (e.g. as in a cause and effect relationship).

With reference to FIG. 1, a drill hole plug system 10 is shown. The drill hole plug system 10 is generally comprised of a primary module 15, an optional check valve module 20, an optional shut-off valve module 25 and a basket 30. The drill hole plug system 10 is meant to be utilized during diamond core drilling operations where the rods or casing are to be left in the hole. In diamond drilling, a cylindrical hole is drilled by means of an annular diamond core bit which is forced into a rock formation in order to probe the contents of the rock for ore deposits. Once the annular hole is drilled, the remaining core must be extracted. Once extracted, a device such as the drill hole plug system 10 is inserted into said remaining hole in order to seal off the end of a rod or casing string that has been left in the ground. Sealing off this hole serves several purposes, including preventing the ingress of water from the surrounding formation, allowing for pressure testing of the rod string, and containing a circulating cooling fluid within the rod string in freeze hole applications. The functioning of the drill hole plug system 10 will be further explained below.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3 a, 3 b and 4, the first steps of the operation drill hole plug system 10 are shown. With specific reference to FIG. 2, a delivery rod 35 is shown, which has a threaded front end 37. Said threaded front end 37 of the delivery rod 35 serves to connect to a corresponding threaded back end 40 of the drill hole plug system 10. With specific reference to FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, once the delivery rod 35 is secured to the drill hole plug system 10, the drill hole plug system 10 is inserted into the open end of the casing 45. As is represented by the two arrows pointing down towards the basket 30, first and second outer edges 50, 52 are compressed against the casing 45, and act like a spring, in such a way that most of the drill hole plug system 10 is secured in place and cannot rotate. The basket 30 is shaped in such a way that it can easily be inserted into the casing 45 by means of its first and second inclined edges 55, 57, and once inserted, the first and second outer edges 50, 52 force the basket 30 inward on itself such that it remains secured within the casing 45. A worker skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that the basket 30 could be of various shapes and sizes, provided that said basket 30 can be secured within a casing 45, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. With specific reference to FIG. 4, an unrotatable portion 50 and a rotatable portion 55 of the drill hole plug system 10 are shown. These unrotatable and rotatable portions 50, 55, respectively, only apply once the drill hole plug system 10 is first inserted and secured within the casing 45. Consequently, once the basket 30 is secured within the casing 45, the action of rotating the delivery rod 35 does not affect the unrotatable portion 50 and only serves to affect, by rotation, the rotatable portion 55.

With reference to FIG. 5, the rotatable portion 55 of the drill hole plug system 10 is shown in greater detail. The rotatable portion 55 is primarily comprised of a shear tube 60, drive tube 62, threaded ring 64 which has inner and outer threads, cone 66, first and second pins 68, 70 and first and second keys 72, 74 which are secured through screws as further described below and defined as cap screws 101. When the delivery rod 35 is turned, this rotates the shear tube 60. First and second keys 72, 74 are set in the shear tube 60 and rotate the drive tube 62. As the drive tube 62 is threaded tightly into the threaded ring 64, said threaded ring 64 rotates relative to drive tube 62. The cone 66 is attached to the threaded ring 64 by means of the first and second pins 68, 70; however, the threaded ring 64 rotates independently from the cone 66. As such, when the threaded ring 64 rotates, it advances along the threaded shaft 75 along with the drive tube 62 and the cone 66. In turn, the inclined surface 77 of the cone 66 forces the expansion sleeve 80 outwards. This relationship is further explained below.

With reference to FIG. 6, the relationship between the cone 66 and the expansion sleeve 80 is further illustrated. As is represented by the rotating arrow, as the delivery rod 35 is further rotated, the parts from the rotatable portion 55 rotate. Specifically, as the threaded ring 64 rotates, the threaded ring 64 advances along the threaded shaft 75 and thus pushes the cone 66 forward. This in turn forces the expansion sleeve 80 outwards with respect to the center of the drill hole plug system 10, as is represented by the outward pointing arrows. It should be noted that neither the delivery rod 35 nor the shear tube 60 move axially, as first and second slots 81, 82 located in the drive tube 62 compensate for the axial displacement of the threaded ring 64, drive tube 62 and cone 66. In other words, as the first and second keys 72, 74 are turned, the corresponding first and second slots 81, 82 allow the drive tube 62 and threaded ring 64 to advance axially on the threaded shaft 75. As the delivery rod 35 is further rotated, the expansion sleeve 80 is forced outward until said expansion sleeve 80 makes contact with the inner wall 85 of the casing 45. The expansion sleeve 80 expands outwardly until the expansion sleeve 80 is wedged tightly against the inner wall 85 of the casing 45. At this stage, the basket (not shown) no longer serves a functional purpose as said basket (not shown in FIG. 6) is only designed to secure the hole plug system 10 in place until the expansion sleeve 80 is wedged in place against the inner wall 85 of the casing 45. Once the expansion sleeve 80 is properly anchored in place, the rotation of the delivery rod 35 will only serve to draw the threaded shaft 75 back towards the delivery rod 35. In other words, once the expansion sleeve 80 is anchored into place, the cone 66 can no longer move forward and neither can the threaded ring 64. However, since the threaded ring 64 can rotate independently of the cone 66, further rotation of the threaded ring 64 causes, instead of axial travel of the ring 64 along the threaded shaft 75, axial travel of the threaded shaft 75. Thus, before the cone is wedged into place, the threaded shaft acts as an axially fixed component with the threaded ring as the moving component, axially travelling along the threaded shaft. Once the cone is wedged into place, the threaded ring acts as the axially fixed component with the threaded shaft acting as the moving component. Further rotation of the threaded ring thereby causes the threaded shaft to move towards the delivery rod. As such, continued rotation of the delivery rod 35 will force the threaded ring 64 to turn on itself, thus forcing the threaded shaft 75 back towards the delivery rod 35.

With specific reference to FIG. 6 a, the drive tube 62 is shown rotated 90° from FIG. 6, thus clearly showing first slot 81 in greater detail. As was previous explained, the first slot 81 is shaped in such a way such that when the first key (not shown) is turned, said first key (not shown) can allow the drive tube 62 and threaded ring 64 to advance.

With reference to FIGS. 7 a and 7 b, the unrotatable portion 50 is shown in greater detail. The unrotatable portion 50 is primarily comprised of third and fourth keys 90, 92 as well as a key adapter 95 which is threaded onto the threaded shaft 75. The third and fourth keys 90, 92 are mounted into a pocket 93 of the key adapter 95 and prevent the key adapter 95 from any movement. Said third and fourth keys 90, 92 also protrude into third and fourth slots 96, 97 of the expansion sleeve 80. As the expansion sleeve 80 is anchored into place and does not rotate, the third and fourth keys 90, 92, also serve the purpose of preventing the key adapter 95 and threaded shaft 75 from rotating.

With specific reference to FIG. 7 b, the key adapter 95 and threaded shaft 75 can move axially until the key adapter 95 makes contact with a wall 100 of the expansion sleeve 80.

With reference to FIGS. 7 c and 7 d, third and fourth slots 96, 97 are shaped in such a way as to allow the third and fourth keys 90, 92, key adapter (not shown) and threaded shaft 75 to move axially as the threaded ring 64 is turned onto the threaded shaft 75. FIG. 7 c shows the third and fourth slots 96, 97 in the same cross-section as FIGS. 7 a and 7 b, while FIG. 7 d shows a view rotated 90° from FIG. 7 c to better illustrate the third and fourth slots 96, 97. The expansion sleeve 80 is also shown in greater detail in both FIGS. 7 c and 7 d. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that while the present is comprised of a set of first and second keys 72, 74 as well as a set of third and fourth keys 90, 92, the present device could instead be comprised of two sets of one key, two sets of three keys, two sets of four keys, etc. The presence of the keys and their corresponding slots ensures that the various adjacent parts either rotate or move axially, depending on what is desired.

With reference to FIG. 7 e, the unrotatable portion 50 is shown in greater detail, without the presence of the fourth key 92, corresponding fourth slot 97 and pocket 93. This view is able to better illustrate the expansion sleeve 80 as well as show that a single key could be used in one embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 7 f, the pocket 93 is shown when the drill hole plug system is rotated 90° from FIG. 7 a for greater clarity. As was previously explained, the third and fourth keys (not shown) are mounted into pocket 93 of the key adapter 95 and stay locked within said pocket 93 to prevent the third and fourth keys (not shown) from moving axially or rotationally with respect to the key adapter 95.

With reference to FIGS. 8 a, 8 b and 8 c, the third key 90 is shown inserted into the pocket 93 of the drill hole plug system (not shown) for greater clarity. Specifically, the presence of a cap screw 101 is shown, inserted into third key 90, which is then inserted into said pocket 93.

With reference to FIG. 9, a seal unit 105 is shown. The seal unit 105 is comprised of sealant 107, lead-in ring 110, seal shaft 112 and compression ring 114. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that the sealant could be made from a variety of known sealants: such as urethane, natural rubber, Nitrile (BUNA), EPDM, Silicone, Teflon, Viton or a Neoprene Sponge, without departing from the scope of the device. The lead-in ring 110 is tightly threaded onto the seal shaft 112, while the sealant 107 and compression ring 114 can freely move along said seal shaft 112 as they are not threaded thereon. As the threaded shaft 75 is drawn back towards the delivery rod (not shown), said threaded shaft 75 will draw back on the seal shaft 112 and lead-in ring 110. This is due to the fact that the threaded shaft 35 is in turn threaded onto the seal shaft 112 by means of seal threading 113. Meanwhile, the compression ring 114 butts up increasingly tightly against the expansion sleeve 80. At this instant, the sealant 107 is compressed between the lead-in ring 110 and the compression ring 114. As said sealant 107 is compressed, it expands radially, making contact with the inner wall 85 of the casing 45 and effectively sealing it off. Accordingly, once the sealant 107 has spread and expanded in such a way, fluids can only pass through the center 115 of the drill hole plug system 10.

With reference to FIG. 10, the rotatable portion 55 is shown once the drill hole plug system 10 is set. Indeed, once the sealant (not shown) has spread, the continued rotation of the delivery rod 35 will only serve to compress and tighten the cone 66 into the expansion sleeve 80. As this happens, the amount of torque required to turn the delivery rod 35 will increase until a point where the shear tube 60 fails in torsion and no longer turns. This is the critical point where the drill hole plug system 10 is set. First and second o-rings 120, 122 create a seal between the threaded shaft 75 and the inside wall (not shown) of the shear tube 60. It is at this point that any fluid such as water, brine, grout, etc, pumped down the delivery rod 35 will pass solely through the center 115 of the drill hole plug system 10.

With reference to FIGS. 11 a and 11 b, the optional check valve 20 is shown in greater detail. The check valve 20 is primarily comprised of a valve seat 130, a valve body 132, a valve plug 135 a steel ball 137 and a spring 140. The check valve 20 serves to prevent water from entering the valve plug 135 from the basket 30 end of the drill hole plug system 10 while allowing for passage of fluids (such as grout, etc) from the delivery rod 35 end of the drill hole plug system 10. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that many types of standard check valves could be added onto the drill hole plug system 10 without departing from the scope of the device.

With reference to FIGS. 12 a and 12 b, the shut-off valve module 25 is shown in greater detail. The shut-off valve 25 is primarily comprised of a base 150, a body 152 and a cap 154 connected one to the other in between first and second shut-off valve o-rings 156, 158. The o-rings 156, 158 ensure a watertight seal between the base 150 and the body 152 and between the body 152 and the cap 154. A spring housing 160 is also connected to the base 150, said spring housing 160 having first and second ports 161, 162, which allow fluids to pass through it and out through the base 150. A plug 163 is also shown, securely threaded into the spring housing 160. A spring 164 can also be seen, and is held in place in between said spring housing 160 and a plunger 168. A spring rod 170 is threaded into the plunger 168 and passes through both the spring 164 and the plug 163. As the spring 164 is compressed into the plug 163, the spring rod 170 extends beyond the plug 163 through an aperture 172 of the plug 163. A trip rod 174 acts like a sleeve and goes over the end of the protruding spring rod 170, until which time that a shear pin 176 falls through a cavity (not shown) that becomes aligned as a result of the connection between both the trip rod 174 and spring rod 170. As the spring 164 acts against the plunger 168, both the spring rod 170 and trip rod 174 are drawn back towards the base 150 of the shut-off valve 25. The trip rod 174 makes contact with the plug 163 and due to the newfound presence of the shear pin 176, the spring rod 170 and plunger 168 are held in place. In the Figures, the spring 164 is in compression.

With reference to FIG. 12 c, the shut-off valve module 25 is shown rotated 90° along the longitudinal axis from FIGS. 12 a and 12 b. This view more clearly depicts the shear pin 176 about to be wedged in a cavity 177 of the trip rod 174 and spring rod 170.

With reference to FIG. 13 a, the other extremity of the trip rod 174 is shown in greater detail, passing through a trip rod catch 180 and having a nut 182 threaded onto said extremity of trip rod 174. The trip rod catch 180 sits against a lip 185 on the inside of the shear tube 60.

With reference to FIG. 13 b the activation of the shut-off valve module 25 is shown in greater detail. In order to activate said shut-off valve module 25, the delivery rod 35 is pulled hack. As the shear tube 60 is pulled back with the delivery rod 35, the trip rod catch 180, which is connected to the lip 185 of the shear tube 60 is pulled back as well. Ultimately, the trip rod catch 180 makes contact with the nut 182, at which point the trip rod 174 is in tension. The arrow in FIG. 13 b indicates the direction of the movement of the delivery rod 35, shear tube 60 and the trip rod catch 180.

With reference to FIG. 14 a, the shut-off valve module 25 is shown as the delivery rod (not shown) is being pulled, and the trip rod 174 is in tension. When in tension, continued pulling on the trip rod 174 will also pull back on the spring rod 170 and the plunger 168, both of which are connected to said trip rod 174 as previously explained. Eventually, the plunger 168 will make contact with the spring housing 160, at which point any further pulling back of the delivery rod (not shown) will shear the shear pin 176. The arrow in FIG. 14 a shows the direction of the movement.

With reference to FIG. 14 b the shut-off valve module 25 is shown at a 90° angle from that of FIG. 14 a. Again, in this instance, the relationship between shear pin 176, trip rod 174 and spring rod 170 is shown in greater detail, along with the cavity 177.

With reference to FIG. 14 c, the shut-off valve module 25 is shown once the shear pin 176 has been broken. Once this occurs, the spring 164 forces the plunger 168 into the base 150 of the shut-off valve module 25. First and second shut-off valve o-rings 156, 158 on the plunger 168 create a seal and the drill hole plug system 10 is completely sealed and no fluids can pass from either direction. Once this occurs and the plug is set, the shear tube (not shown) and trip rod 174 can be discarded. The arrow in FIG. 14 c serves to show the direction of the movement of the trip rod 174.

With reference to FIG. 14 d the shut-off valve module 25 is shown in greater detail, rotated 90° from the view of FIG. 14 c. In this view, the cavity 177 and broken shear pin 176 can be seen in greater detail.

With reference to FIG. 15, the drill hole plug system 10 is shown without the optional check valve and the optional shut-off valve. A basket adapter 190 is shown in greater detail. The basket adapter 190 is connected to the seal shaft 112 of the primary module 15 at one end and to the basket 30 at the other end by means of threaded connections. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, the basket adapter 190 is solely connected to both the basket 30 and the primary module 15; however, a worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that the basket adapter could easily connect the basket 30 to the optional shut-off valve (not shown). Indeed, the basket adapter 190 could be connected to a number of modular add-ons, and ultimately to the basket 30 and the primary module 15, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Moreover, with respect to the above description, it is to be repulsed that the optimum dimensional relationships for the component members of the present invention may include variations in size, material, shape, form, funding and manner of operation. 

Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed:
 1. A drill hole plug system, comprising: a. a basket, further comprising: i. at least one outer edge; ii. at least one inclined edge; b. a basket adapter operatively connected to the basket; and c. a primary module operatively connected to said basket adapter, further comprising: i. a shear tube; ii. a drive tube; iii. a threaded ring iv. a threaded shaft; v. a cone; vi. a seal shaft; and vii. an expansion sleeve wherein rotation of the threaded ring causes the threaded ring to travel along a threaded shaft in a first direction and thereby wedges the cone in the expansion sleeve and wherein further continuous rotation of the threaded ring results in the movement of the threaded shaft in a second direction directionally opposite to the first direction.
 2. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein said cone is fastened to said threaded ring by means of at least one pin.
 3. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein said shear tube and said drive tube are connected by means of at least one key.
 4. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein said cone forces said expansion sleeve outwards and anchors the drill hole plug system.
 5. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein the primary module further comprises a sealant.
 6. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein the primary module of claim 1 further comprises a lead-in ring.
 7. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein the primary module further comprises a compression ring.
 8. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein the primary module further comprises a key adapter.
 9. The drill hole plug system according to claim 8 wherein key adapter is connected to the expansion sleeve by means of at least one key.
 10. A drill hole plug system according to claim 1 further comprising a check valve positioned in between the basket and the primary module.
 11. A drill hole plug system according to claim 1 further comprising a shut-off valve positioned in between the basket and the primary module.
 12. A drill hole plug system according to claim 10 further comprising a shut-off valve.
 13. The drill hole plug system according to claim 1 wherein the primary module is threaded to receive a delivery rod.
 14. A drill hole plug system according to claim 1 further comprising a trip rod connecting the primary module to the shut-off valve. 